And so it begins, Why are they messaging me so much?

[Kelly149]

I turned the Barn listing back on late last night after being closed since 6/1/2021. I shortened every section of text (no one reads anyway), deleted some pictures, and added a note about how the nearby highway is under construction. The only "rules" are No additional guests and tell me the full names of everyone in the reservation and what brings you to town.

Request only listing, so I wake up this morning to my first Request: 2 Guests, 1 night, "my husband, 4 kids and baby are looking forward to coming to Austin for Valentine's Day". I've now sent her the house rules and have received no less than 4 messages from ABB telling me to HURRY AND ACCEPT THIS REQUEST.

grrrr... this may be a short-lived experiment

[Kelly149]

Next hit: “I’m surprising my son and his girlfriend both late 20’s very responsible”. 

my message: so you, your son & his girlfriend are coming to Austin??

gahhhh!! This is a superhost making this request. Come on. 

[Colleen253]

@Kelly149 The pandemic has really curdled people's brains.

[Kelly149]

@Colleen253 it would seem so 😭

[Kendra114]

It’s real. People are actually dumber. I’m not joking and I am very concerned. I can’t even go to the store or drive somewhere without encountering a situation where it seems peoples brains are literally turned off. 

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Kelly149 

Here comes an other entry in the book of amazing requests!

[Sarah977]

@Kelly149  "This is a superhost making this request. Come on. "

This no longer surprises me. Superhost gets awarded to hosts who have only been hosting a few months. And this forum is full of questions from Superhosts about really basic stuff that it's rather boggling they are not informed about. Things hosts should be reading up about before they even submit a listing.

The vast majority of my guests, contrary to it seems most hosts' experience, have thoroughly read my listing  info and not arrived with unreasonable expectations nor had questions that could be answered by reading the info provided. 

The only guest who asked a question of that nature was a host herself, and of the same type of listing I have-a private room home share with shared kitchen. Yet she asked if there was kitchen access, when it says so in my description and in my amenities list.

[Gillian166]

Actually I recently had a guy book a girls weekend for his fiance and 2 of her friends, as a surprise gift for them. Adorable! They were wonderful guests. 

In the past I have booked plenty of stays just for hubby, he refuses to do internet/admin type stuff, so he's never going to have his own abb account. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Sometimes these situations are genuine and the people are wonderful. 

and then sometimes not.... haha. 

[Helen744]

Helen @744. no prob send them an update with six guests . H.

[Kelly149]

Third try: guest requests 1 guest, 4 nights but sends a message saying it’s actually 4 guests, 1 night.

How hard is it to hit the right buttons on this thing??

so I say, no problem, I’ll wait for you to get it how you want it. And also, here are the things we need you to confirm before booking (no other guests, arrival time, departure time & you’re at our house, so be a good guest, etc). And I hear NOTHING until I hit decline at 23 hours but now she’s gone chatty and doesn’t understand the pricing or the requesting or the message system…. Ayyyay I may not make it y’all. 

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Kelly149 

Oh, my! Hang in there...seems this one is better suited to a hotel, where reservations agents can manage her confusion. Poor thing!

[Kelly149]

@Kitty-and-Creek0  Right?? I have a bunch of kids already. I don’t need any more lost souls who can’t figure out a travel app

[Kelly149]

and now 4th, guest request on my newly re-opened listing:

Her message: I’m leaving it up to xxx to figure out the rest of our crew, but it may very well end up being just us 2 and the moms.

Me: Your Request message should list: Full name for all guests, any special plans for your visit to the Barn/Austin, arrival/departure timing, what made you choose the barn over all the other options in town.

Also no additional guests beyond those you've included in your reservation request. (this doesn't just mean no additional sleepover guests, but also includes any drop-in daytime guests. So, no additional guests.)

this is a re-post of the House Rules that she really already should have seen... did she?? I don't know..

Her response: Since this is still in the planning phase, unfortunately I’m unable to provide you the guest information you’re requesting. xxxxx is working to figure out who’d she’d like to invite and who’s actually able to come. There may be guests (family) flying in from Ohio, but again, that is to be determined. She is the Director of xxxx at xxxx, so there could be some of her colleagues joining us. We’re just not sure at this time.

My response: We're happy to have 4 and can go up to as many as 6 guests (though that changes the rental fee). But we don't do more than 6 and you do need to have settled your guest list before you book. ABB severely limits our ability to make changes after a reservation is booked. Please do withdraw your request for now to save me from the every hour-on-the-hour messages that ABB will send me "reminding" me of your incomplete trip. Thanks!

At least she did withdraw and I didn't have to Decline. Sure would be nice if ABB would help by showing Guests our House Rules info, checkboxes for requirements, anything that does something other than just push clueless Requests onto Hosts... If I wanted to host any and all under any and every circumstance, well, then pretty sure I'd already be setup with IB

[Gillian166]

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@Kelly149 wrote:

 ABB severely limits our ability to make changes after a reservation is booked. Please do withdraw your request for now to save me from the every hour-on-the-hour messages that ABB will send me "reminding" me of your incomplete trip. Thanks!

---

That's a keeper, copied that response into my Notes. 🙂 
As a guest you also get inundated with messages and emails from airbnb, it's so irritating. I might just change the "me" to "us".

[Kelly149]

And now I've had my 5th request that hadn't seen the House Rules. And once I sent those Rules over they withdrew the request. Come on ABB, how is this helpful?!? You're wasting my time, you're wasting the guest's time. SHOW THE HOUSE RULES!! If they didn't matter, I wouldn't have them, but they do, so you hiding them from potential guests is useless and also makes me less likely to turn on IB, not more.

[Colleen253]

@Kelly149 Agree. Incredibly frustrating. I can’t remember the last time a guest read my extended house rules. Seriously. I have an easter egg in them so I know. I now have a saved message that asks guests to go read the rules, and provide the requested info. Also re Instant Book, NO ONE responds to my initial message which has an ask. It’s all gone very downhill.